Personal and professional repair service by Byron Campbell,  ham call WA4GEG and FCC Commercial Radio Telephone licensed. If you want your transceiver repaired right the first time around, then my service is for you. After repair your rig will be burned in for 48 hours and undergo on the air testing to insure proper operation. All radio gear is treated with TLC and serviced in a "non-smoking" environment.

REPAIR LABOR RATE: $70 per hour. On average most transceiver repairs are complete in 2 ~ 2.5 hours,  and 2.5 ~ 3.5 hours for units requiring a lot of work. E-mail with your model and problem and I can usually give you a fairly close estimate on what to expect in the way of repair costs.

On the bench repair estimate charge is based on the hourly rate.  The more intricate the equipment (those containing multiple boards where each must be powered up and tested independently) and for lightning or shipment damaged equipment, the higher the estimate charge. Time in making repair estimates will typically run in the range of 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

Repair Facts; Servicing, Alignment and Modification Info:

To set up a date for repair / servicing and to have your transceiver added to my work calendar just drop me an e-mail (see e-mail link below.) I'm presently booking the month of December 2008.

Yaesu Transceiver models serviced:

Exclusively supported:  FT-1000, FT-1000D,  FT-1000MP, FT-1000MP Mark-V, FT-1000MP Mark-V FIELD

Future supported: FT-2000 series

In my spare time, i.e. mid to late Summer, and subject to availability:  FT-890 & FT-900

Only those models listed above are serviced at this time. I do not service anything else.

• Want an International Radio crystal filter, roofing filter unit and / or mod. installed in your flavor of FT-1000 while it is being serviced? I sell Inrad products at the same price as posted on their site.

• FT-1000MP, Mark-V & Field: RCVR IF-AMPLIFIER MODIFICATION. This mod. decreases front end white noise, improves receiver noise figure (sensitivity) and cuts received signal distortion (the raspy sound on received signal audio, especially noticeable on signal peaks.) This mod. will eliminate the need for the Inrad Noise Reduction mod., should the latter be installed.

•  FT-1000MP, Mark-V & Field: REGULATOR UNIT MODIFICATION. 35% of rigs serviced show signs of the -9 regulator dropping off due to heating. For these affected sets I'll automatically add a copper heat sink to the -9 VDC regulator IC.

What does it cost for equipment repair?

• For the FT-890 and FT-900, repair costs average from about $135 ~ $195, unless the problem is very simple of course. Lightning damaged sets, where repairable, usually cost more due to the extra time and parts required.

• For the FT-1000 SERIES, average repair costs will range from $145 ~ $275 depending on the problem, and the amount of alignment work or touch-up needed. Where both repair and modification work is requested, typical labor / time will run 2.5 ~ 3.5 hours.
  

Alignment Costs: Based on hourly rate. All repair work will include Basic Alignment, as needed, to insure the transceiver is operating to specifications. 

*Basic Alignment includes adjustment of reference and carrier oscillators, IF Shift / Width circuitry, VR, CM coupler, SWR protection, Over Current protection /I-ALC, Main ALC, RF/IF AGC, S-meter and other meter function adjustments/calibration.


*Performance Optimizing Alignment includes the above plus USB/LSB carrier set point optimization for highest quality transmit/receive  audio response, RF/IF alignment for optimal receiver signal to noise performance , i.e. best sensitivity possible,  transmitter IF alignment and per band drive calibration. All performance measurement data is then noted on the service invoice.


*Comprehensive Alignment includes the above Basic plus PLL VCOs', PLL Band Pass Filters and etc. Comprehensive alignment is generally not required unless such circuitry has been repaired and/or the transceiver has had little or no attention in a good many years.

FAQs:


How do I get started on having equipment repaired by you? E-mail me for consultation before shipping a piece of equipment in for repair. This serves to get your name on my repair work calendar, and will save your place in line should I be backed up with work at the time.





 

What do you charge for repair estimates?   

The nominal estimate charge is $45. For lightning damaged or shipment damaged equipment (and for the more intricate equipment containing multiple boards where each unit must be power up and tested independently,) based on the hourly labor rate.

Do you work on VHF, UHF equipment and HTs'?
 
No, sorry. My shop is tooled up specifically for HF SSB (160 ~ 6 meter) equipment repair. Only those models listed above are serviced at the present time.


Which models do you not service?

I do not service anything other than those units listed near the top of this page under the heading  "YAESU MODELS SERVICED". These listed models, IN MY OPINION, represent those transceivers that have a good track record of providing reliable service life, and yet remain very repairable among the ever growing list of older Yaesu HF SSB gear that is no longer being manufactured.



I sent you an e-mail and have not heard from you. Why?

1) Missing, failed delivery and delayed e-mail problems have been reported, primarily from AOL, EarthLink, juno, web-tv and arrl.net users. Solution: send your message again, maybe even by way of a web-mail account such as Yahoo mail, Hot mail or similar. Also, you might check your SPAM or BULK MAIL folder as messages from me go through my domain HamRadioBug.com and are sometimes detected as bulk or spam by certain ISP and web mail providers.

2) All e-mail messages should be sent a/o composed in plain text or simple HTML. Heavy HTML mail (that containing background images, stationary, colors & etc.) will not display on my machine because I have heavy  HTML turned off  (everyone should) due to the security risk it poses.  NOTE: Microsoft 'rich text mail' is a form of HTML.

3) I do my best to respond to e-mail within 3 to 5 business days. Longer delays will naturally occur around the holidays.

4) To get past my e-mail SPAM filters it is a good idea that your message subject field contain some relevant info.  Suggested subject lines are those containing the equipment model and your name, initials or ham call sign. Subject line example: FT-1000MP repair; "your name or call-sign here."

Other info:

E-mail communication is preferred and carried on five days per week, excluding holidays. Response times will typically run 3 to 5 BUSINESS DAYS (Mon.~Fri.) depending on my mail load. Please compose / send mail in the form of plain text. Heavy HTML does not display on my PC (I keep HTML mail turned off for security reasons.)

Phone consultation is available upon special request: to set up a phone consultation appointment simply drop me an e-mail. Please include your name, call sign and subject of inquiry (Yaesu model number, etc.) I'll get a message back to you along with my phone number, day and time window for you to call the shop.

The shipping address is on the packing and shipping page.

 

What payment methods do you accept?


Payment methods accepted are: personal check, bank check,  money order and PayPal e-payment. Please allow ten business days for personal check to clear my bank before item ships.


Credit Card payment accepted too, but only on-line through PayPal system at present. (You do not need an account with PayPal to pay me through their service.)

Not familiar with PayPal? It's a great service, check them out at http://www.paypal.com  


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